Theophilus Parsons to John Adams, July 8, 1789

Newbury Port July 8 th. 1789

My dear Sir—

Conscious of the persecutions you would meet with, by applications
for your influence in the appointment to offices, I had determined not to increase the
number of them; but being just informed, that the President proposes to nominate as
officers, for the collection of the national revenue, those persons who hold the like
offices in the collection of the state revenues, unless complaint was made against them,
I am compelled to trouble you on the subject. If such was openly known to be the
presidents intentions, there would not be wanting well founded complaints against
Mess rs. Titcomb and Cross, the naval-officer, and
collector of excise for this port— I must sollicit your patience, while I give a short
history of the manner, in which those gentlemen came into those offices, and of their
conduct afterwards—

Michael Hodge Esq., a gentleman of this town, of undoubted
integrity and capacity, and of pure public principles, was, upon the first erection of
the naval office, appointed to fill it; he continued in it a number of years, while the
fees were receivable in paper-money, but soon after, the office being then deemed
lucrative, M r Titcomb, availing himself of his influence as
a representative, procured the place for himself, to the exclusion of M r Hodge— 1 He
continued in that office two or three years until, for his misdemeanors in permitting an
entry of vessels while at sea, to evade our lumber acts, he lost his election, and M r Hodge was rechosen— Tumults arose in our governments soon
after— M r Titcomb was elected a representative and, by the
influence of the malcontent party, to which he always adhered as much as he dared, he
was rechosen as Naval-Officer— When the rebellion arose, he took every method, in his
power, to render the government odious, and the conduct of the rebels unexceptionable,
and his tools, in this town, were in a flame, when the legislature declared that a
rebellion existed. Soon after that rebellion was crushed, the federal government came
upon the carpet, and it was not judged expedient to attempt his removal, as it was
supposed that, upon the adoption of that government, he would drop of course.

I might add, that altho’, when one of our delegates in convention,
the spirit of the men he was with, compelled him to the adoption of the constitution,
yet, at the same time, his principles were hostile to every federal
measure, & all his out-door connections were railing at the new government. Judge
then my dear Sir, what must be the sentiments and feelings of people here, to see that
man carefully provided for, under a government to which he is not friendly, and who has
opposed every honest measure proposed in our own state government; and a man who has
really, in my opinion, no moral principles to guide him in any department. Nor can the
fear of loosing his property, influence him to right conduct, as that is all gone, and
the house, he now lives in, has lately been taken by execution over his head.

As to M r Cross, he obtained the Excise
in the same unworthy manner— M r Sam l. Tufts, a brother of the Hon. Cotton Tufts, was the excise-officer, until M r Cross, going representative, availed himself of the
influence of that place, to procure himself chosen in his room.— 2 As to our own government, he has always been
opposed to every measure, calculated to support, either it’s credit, or it’s energy, and
has been heartily in favour of the insurgents— But to the federal government he has been
openly and avowedly it’s opponent—and was he an officer under it, instead of feeling
grateful for the favour, he would use that very office, to create or forment an
uneasiness among the people, to justify his former opposition—such is this man’s temper—
Besides, as he is a Collector of Our Excise, there can be no great propriety in his
collecting the national revenues at the same time— It may be said, that he may resign
the former office, but he will not do it, if he can hold both; and why should such a
man, acquiring an office in the manner he did, still have his election to hold a
lucrative and influential place under a government to which he was openly hostile—

From this view of these two men, which in my opinion is quite a
just one, the good people here would feel exceedingly sore at their appointment to
office—and did they conceive any information to the president, upon this subject,
proper, it would be given him, signed by very respectable names— I conceive the energy
of the federal government will depend much on the principles of the men, who are first
appointed to Office— Our own Government has been ruined, for want of attention to this
point.

Whenever men, disesteemed by the respectable part of the Community,
or antifederal in their principles, are designated to Offices, the people will soon have
no respect for the government— They will reason, and reason very naturally, that a
government which will take it’s enemies into
it’s bosom, and neglect it’s friends, who have supported it in trying times, does not
wish to have friends, or to secure to itself the public attachment— I think these
sentiments are in some degree just—and if they are, I trust our beloved president will
feel the influence of them— He can, with the most perfect propriety, act agreably to
them— He is not obliged to court friends—and he has a weight of character, that will
support him firm as Atlas— Had I the honour of his notice, I would intreat him, from my
knowledge of the people in this place, and from the principles and characters of Mess rs. Titcomb & Cross, to pass them by, & to nominate
other characters— I would, with great humility & sincerity, tell him, that I had no
personal interest depending, but that I was influenced only, by a devout attachment to a
firm, energetic, federal government—

Perhaps you may ask me who are suitable men for the three offices
in Newbury Port— I will give you the opinions of the respectable people here upon that
subject— M r Hodge, as the Naval Officer, they all agree in,
from a sense of his merits, and from the ill-treatment he has received— M r Tufts would make an honest, faithful, and disinterested
collector of the revenues, and so would Ebenezer March Esq; and probably, no man would
make a better surveyor, than M r David Moody— 3 To speak my own ardent wishes—I hope M r Hodge may be provided for at all events—

I have a great reliance on your good nature, when I expect your
excuse for troubling you on this tedious subject— I will quit it, & take one more
agreable to you— Your son is indefatigable in the office—too much so I fear; and his
whole conduct gives me the greatest pleasure— May it be my fortune, to have reason to
think so well of a son of mine, as I do of yours—

My particular regards wait on M rs Adams
who, I hear, is with you, and believe me to be, notwithstanding all this trouble, /
Yours most affectionately

Theop Parsons